Reason to Breathe
by forgottenweasley
Summary: WARNING:DH SPOILERS. As we heard from Kreacher’s Tale Regulus Black indeed did aid Harry in bringing about Voldemort’s downfall but what exactly brought about this sudden change of heart. What made a Death Eater become a hero?


WARNING: DH SPOILERS INCLUDED IN STORY AND SUMMARY. Summary: As we heard from Kreacher's Tale Regulus Black indeed did aid Harry in bringing about Voldemort's downfall but what exactly brought about this sudden change of heart. What made a Death Eater become a hero?

Pale hands grasped yellowing newspaper articles ripped from the _Daily Prophet_, symbols of the previous idolisation the young man held for that… _monster_. The pictures depicting the various Dark Marks showering the sky, signs of death scattered across the country. The most recent of articles was dated just that morning, yet the words had begun to blend together as salty tears stained the parchment, making the ink run in rivers of black across the page.

The young man began to consider the idea of irony and how it was now a part of him. The monster he idolised from his teens, the one who gave him orders which he willingly obeyed, the one who helped him gain pride from his mother was now the very monster to him that everyone feared and loathed and was now the one who caused his heart to break. Memories flashed through his mind, tearing away at his soul as more tears fell down his cheeks.

_A cool breeze danced across the hills and fallen autumn leaves floated in the air in graceful, soothing patterns. A brown leaf landed gently on her porcelain cheek as we lay in each others arms in the fields. She giggled softly and I smiled as I brushed the leaf away, resting my hand on her face as I did so. Her giggles subsided yet a smile remained as love shone from her dazzling sapphire eyes. Who could've believed she would ever look at me like that, who could believe that anyone ever would. I couldn't resist pulling her closer and capturing her lips with my own. It wasn't a passionate kiss but a simple gentle kiss filled with more love than I could ever imagine. I loved her but I could never bring myself to tell her. Everytime I tried she would simply place a finger on my lips and whisper 'I know'. We didn't need words really. We had each other and that was enough. As long as I had her, I had a reason to breathe._

_The houses burned, the villagers screamed, terror was in the air as the Death Eaters advanced, me amongst their ranks. Red, blue, green and white beams shot through the night, mingling with the orange and reds from the burning houses below. Dark cloaks billow in the winter blizzard as our orders were shouted through the screams, obviously all coming from my dear cousin Bellatrix. As we continued our path of destruction down the main street muggles, muggle-borns, half-bloods and 'blood-traitors' were being pulled from their homes and lined up, kneeling in front of us with their hands tied behind their backs, fear obvious in their eyes. Neither my heart nor my mind gave any of their fears a second thought until I heard it. I heard __her__ scream. I was dragged by, more than likely, my cousin towards the other end of the line of hostages, aged from young infant to the weak elderly. Then my eyes fell on her, the love of my life._

'_Kill her first. Bloody mudblood is working for the Order. This'll make your mother proud. It will show your loyalty to the Dark Lord.'_

_The way she looked at me, the anger her eyes held, her determination was something that I had never seen in her before and those eyes no longer looked at me with love, but hate, anger and loathing. Why the hell didn't she tell me she was muggle-born?!_

'_Regulus what are you waiting for? Kill her!'_

'_Re-Regulus?'_

_I slowly removed my mask staring straight back at her beautiful face that now expressed probably the same amount of shock that mine held._

'_No. no, I won't believe you would do this. I know your family do but you're not like them Regulus! Please, please don't do this!'_

'_I-I…'_

'_Regulus I love you!'_

'_Love? I can't believe I'm hearing this! You're involved with that mudblood!'_

'_Regulus, please. I am begging you. Don't do this. This isn't who you are!'_

'_Emily… I-I don't know what to do.'_

'_Tell me you love and don't do this.'_

'_I-I...'_

_Please just say 'I know' so I don't have to say it, so I don't have to say goodbye._

'_Please…'_

'_I love you Emily.'_

_Oh I never wanted to make her cry, why is she crying? Why does she look so scared?_

'_Oh for Christ's sake! Get out of the bloody way Regulus! Avada Kedavra!'_

_No. I think my heart has just stopped beating as well as my breathing ending. She's… she's… I can't say it. I won't say it! She can't be… dead._

'_You bloody traitor Regulus! You can't even show loyalty to the Dark Lord! You've brought shame on our family! I hope you rot in hell!'_

_Her sapphire eyes have lost their sparkle, just blue glass shimmering in the moonlight._

This is his fault. Why did he have to choose that village, that street, that house? Why does he want to kill them all?! Why can't he just accept people who are different?!

'Does master Regulus need anything? Would master Regulus like anything to eat?'

'No thank you Kreacher. I just need to be alone.'

'If master in is pain then Kreacher wants to help. Master helped Kreacher after the dark Lord made him drink the potion.'

Of course! The locket, the potion, the cave. How could I forget?! I'm gonna do this. For all of them. For Emily.

'Kreacher!'

'Yes master?'

'Take me to the cave the dark Lord took you to. I have a job to do.'

Regulus grabbed hold of his Black family locket, transfigured it to match the Dark Lord's, and then set off on a mission from which he would never return.

_We'll be together soon Emily…_


End file.
